KARACHI: Former Test cricketer and chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed Sallu on Saturday asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to keep faith with the Iqbal Qasim-led selection committee for the upcoming Champions Trophy and added that it was the tour selection committee that was mainly responsible for the team’s recent debacle in South Africa.
Speaking to Dawn, Sallu said almost everyone had hailed the teams selected for the South Africa tour and the national selectors had done a good job in picking up players on merit and form but, unfortunately, some wrong and hasty decisions taken by the tour management led to defeats.
“Why blame the selectors now?” asked Sallu. “Almost all the critics and former players were praising the teams selected for South Africa Tests and ODIs two months ago but they are now castigating the selectors for no fault of theirs really.”
“In my opinion, some injudicious decisions by the skipper, coach and other team management members that resulted in the losses in South Africa. Why Mohammaad Irfan was not played in the first Test or why was an in-form Abdur Rehman omitted in the Cape Town Test where Saeed Ajmal bagged ten wickets?” questioned Sallu.
“I feel that Misbah, Hafeez, Whatmore and others made some poor decisions like inviting South Africa to bat on some good batting tracks or not making intelligent bowling changes wherever required. Blaming Iqbal Qasim and company for those errors is rather absurd.”
Sallu, however, added that while Pakistan were no match to the Proteas in the Test matches, they fought back quite well to make it 2-3 in the ODIs besides winning the T20 contest quite convincingly. “Our team certainly improved during the limited over games but were edged out by Graeme Smith’s formidable army who were invincible in their own backyard.”
Sallu advised the PCB not to opt for change of selectors at this crucial stage as it could prove hazardous with the high-profile Champions Trophy set to be played in June.
“By my own experience of working with them at one time or the other, I can vouch for the fact that the current set of national selectors are an honest bunch of hardworking people who regularly visit the grounds to watch the players and assess them. They must be retained to ensure better performance from Pakistan in the ICC event,” he concluded.